The Desert Intrigued Me
by Niami94
Summary: You´re wrong, Gaara, I continued, You did this to yourself. Sakura´s mine. She chose to be mine. And guess what? She´s happy without you. I´m probably going to give up a friends tonight, but for Sakura, it´s  worth it.
1. Treasures

The Desert Intrigued Me:

Ð

Treasures

---

The Desert. It´s a beautiful thing that Nature creates.

"Gaara!"

It holds many secrets, feelings... and certain...

"No!"

treasures.

I feel like a complete fool. I went searching, and... I... captured the greatest of all treasures.

"Please!"

But, this treasure, captured me. It charmed its way inside my soul. I began to obsess over him. And as in turn...

"Don´t kill him!"

... I was blessed with one of his gifts. Everyone anticipated the event. This gift, everyone hoped, would change him. It would make everything better. Except... there was just... one problem.

"I beg of you!"

He told me I had to leave without him: Depart and never come back; To take my gift and run away. He told me he was letting me be free before I could be shackled down.

"It´s not his fault!"

I told him I didn´t mind. It was my choice. My choice... I could have stayed with him, relieve myself of his gift, and never recieve another.

"Let him go!"

But I decided to return home with my gift before anyone found out about the deal Gaara and I had made.

After having delivered and named my gift Taiki, I could live with myself anymore. He resembled his predecessor so much, it hurt to attend to him. I loved him, but he brought back too many hopes that I knew would never come around.

I promised myself I would never let go of him, though. Even if he, one day, hoped to become like him father, I would never give him up... so I gave up on any miracles or hopes that still lingered.

"This is my family, Gaara!"

Three years passed, and I would be forever grateful to all of those who helped me rebuild my life. But I was especially grateful to one, special individual... He may have been contaminated with a bijuu, and everyone was leading me to someone, anyone, else, but he had captured me. And so I fell into a web of ecstacy... again.

"No!"

Naruto was... generous, to say the least. I received Kaito when Taiki was four, Michiyo when Kaito was two, and Asuka when Michiyo was three. They were my three boys and two girls.

We were happy.

We weren´t perfect but we managed to sort arguments out.

We were full of love in our home.

I was as free as Gaara had intended me to be.

I didn´t feel any obligations, only concerns about all five of them.

And after a while, I stopped fearing Gaara´s return and completely removed him from my life.

"You already took Taiki from me! Don´t take him too!"

Naruto escalated to the same stature and Gaara; Leader of his village. They reencountered in a meeting as old friends...

"STOP THIS!"

got along for a while...

"GAARA!"

talked about what they had been up to since their last meeting...

"DON´T DO IT!"

when I entered into the room. Naruto introduced me to Gaara as his wife, me having hid away the indentity of Taiki´s father.

My past hopes and dreams of him coming back and taking our son and me back ran across my memory. I felt disgusted at the flashback and hurried back home with my girls, who were eleven and eight, leaving the boys with Naruto.

With every step I took, a new possible outcome to the meeting appeared on my mind. I didn´t want to provoke Gaara or raise suspicion within Naruto, so I forced myself onward home.

"I BEG OF YOU!"

A few hours passed and my mind had been tortured by pictures of how Naruto and Kaito had been mutilated.

Gaara wouldn´t hurt Taiki. He understood Taiki was his son the moment he set him eyes on him.

I left behind Michiyo and Asuka at Ino and Shikamaru´s house. The only thing that might have given away my destination was when I left by just stating, Take care of them if I don´t come back.´

"I _HATE_ YOU, GAARA! I TRULY DO!"

I arrived to a gruesome sight. Blood was splattered all across the grass. Taiki was crying as he was mostly encaved by Gaara´s sand, uselessly struggling to get out. Naruto was fighting Gaara with tears streaming down his face. And Kaito... my little boy... he was only thirteen... Kaito´s torso was face down in the center of it all and all four of his limbs were scattered around the park grass with blood red sand on top of each.

As I came into view, I tried to fight off waves of sand trying to pull me into safety. One finally caught on to me and pulled me next to Taiki. There, I held on to him, closed and cursed myself. No seventeen year old boy deserved to see his brother ripped apart limb from limb.

Gaara´s sand caught Naruto and held him up inches from his own. As they whispered angry words out each other, I screamed for Naruto´s life.

"DON´T KILL HIM!"

--

Gaara looked down to my wife and son and smirked. He looked back up to me and I glared back at him. He had hurt Sakura when he forced her out of his life seventeen years ago. He hurt Sakura by destroying Kaito in front of his own brother.

"See them, Naruto?" Gaara said, "They´re mine. You´re hurting them. If you had never met Sakura, she wouldn´t be here. She´d be at home with me."

"You´re wrong, Gaara," I continued, "You did this to yourself. Sakura´s mine. She´ll always be mine. She chose to be mine. And guess what? She´s happy. Without you."

I saw a deep frown form in Gaara´s face. And when I formed a a small grin, I heard a loud crack from my back.

--

CRACK!

"NARUTO!"


	2. Rebellion

The Desert Intrigued Me:

Ð

Rebellion

---

'_Mommy? Oh, there you are. Where have you been?' 'We've been waiting for you to come home, Mommy.' Two little girls stepped forward out of the darkness before me. They seemed to be talking to me, but I'd never seen them before in this life. _

_The taller one had locks the color of lightning bolts, while the other had light strawberry blonde hair that was raised in pigtails. What was strange about these two little girls is that it hurt me to see them. I recognized them. It didn't make sense. I only had one son. There was no other person there. _

_But, of course, I was lying to myself. Silently, a hole started caving itself in my throat, down to my chest. Unexplained tears feel down my cheeks and the sudden urge to embrace them overcame me. _

_I tried to run towards them. I told myself that I tried to run. Those two little girls were my escape. But, as soon as I started, a chain wrapped itself around me and I staggered to the ground. _

_I looked up to them and tried to make them run, but it was too late. The same chain wrapped around me launched itself towards them. _

_Their cries burst through the area, shocking me into submission. I moved myself so they could only see my back and, instantaneously, the cries stopped. _

_"Michiyo, Asuka... I'm sorry."_

_--_

My eyes opened slowly; my nerves cautiously checking to see if an arm was wrapped around me. There wasn't. I propped myself up to have the sun shine in my face from the side window. I was alone. There wasn't another body next to me. **Good.**

I stayed there for a good while, looking out the window from the bed. Months before, when I was weaker, I used to think that the window was there to taunt me; to laugh at me and my weaknesses. But, now, I'm used to it. I've built up a defense against it.

I got up and decided to change out of my nightgown. There was no point in this, as I was not allowed to leave the securities of the house. And if I did, he would know in an instant.

But, nonetheless, I stood there, in front of my clothes, pondering what to wear. I let my eyes wander until they reached a familiar print; a light green blouse. I reached for it, and, once I inspected it, staggered back. It was blood-stained, and dry. The smell of it would reopen scabbed wounds and I knew it. I threw it to the back before I could be affected and randomly picked out a blue yukata.

I pushed the thought out of my mind and put on the outfit. When I saw my reflection in the mirror, I managed to stare at my face.

_What's in this face that couldn't fight him off?_

I saw my past determination, bravery, hopes... So, when had I decided to throw it all away?

"Snap out of it, Sakura," I scolded myself. "You're not connected to that old life. There's nothing back there in Konoha. Nothing."

That last sentence was supposed to convince me, though it only brought more doubt.

_Stop it. You need to get over it. It's been eleven months. When are you going to stop crying over spilled milk? The past is exactly that: past. There's a war going on, and you need to be strong for your people. _

But... which people was it?

There was a knock on the door and a nervous voice came through the other side.

"Mom? Are you decent?"

"Um... yes. Come in."

A fleeting moment passed until Taiki finally opened the door and walked in.

"Hello, Taiki," I tried in a casual tone, "Do you want to talk about something?"

He stood there, as if defying my will to change anything.

"Care to sit down?" I tried to sound unchanged.

_Look at yourself. Talking to your own son as if he were a stranger!_

I sat next to him, trying to encourage a talk from him until he finally looked down.

"Mom? What's wrong with you?"

Anger flared up inside me, an experience my monotone life was eager to embrace.

"Excuse me?"

"Back before... well, you know... You used to be so strong."

"Are you calling me weak?" I struggled out. _Was I so impotent that my own son had noticed?_

"No... Just... How could you let this happen, Mom?" _So I was._

He stood up and continued.

"I mean, you saw what he did to Dad and Kaito! How could you not fight back?! That was my little brother, Mom! And that was my Dad! I don't care what Gaara says, I'm no family of his!"

I sighed and tried to calm him down.

"Taiki. Calm down. Listen to me."

"Why should I?" he snapped back. "After all you didn't do? After all you didn't fight for? Why did you do this to me?"

"I just wanted to protect you!"

"By keeping everyone in the dark? You knew I hated being different, but you never explained! Why did you keep the truth from us?"

"Did you ever think, for once, that I didn't want to revisit all of that, Taiki?"

"Well, look where it's ended us up in, Mom!" Taiki hurried over to the window. "Just, _**look!**_"

He pointed his hand out the window.

Instead of looking outside, I looked at him.

He had grown out his red hair and had grown taller than me. His eyes seemed harder than the ones I remembered. Turning eighteen hadn't been his greatest transition.

"Taiki, how long have you kept this inside you?"

"Ever since I saw that you didn't fight back all those months ago," he calmly said.

"Come here," I told him, pointing next to me.

"What do you suggest I do, Taiki? Run away? Go retrieve your sisters?"

"That would be better..."

I pushed his hair out of his face.

"Yes, it would. But I can't do that. They're safe there. If I brought them here... they'd run the risk of dying every time I'd my back turned."

"Can't we just make sure they're alright?"

Just then, a noise came from beyond the door. Taiki looked at me with scared eyes and I knew what was running through his mind.

"Go," I mouthed.

He stood up and walked over to the door and looked back at me.

"Just go," I whispered.

Without a second thought, he got out of the room and closed the door behind him. I quickly made my way to the door and tried to lock it when he burst through the room.

"Hello. Gaara."

* * *

CLIFFHANGER!!!

[I know you people hate these. I do too. I'm seriously just trying to see if it''s true that writing cliffhanging chapters are really easier to write... which they are not! You keep trying different places to end it in, but most don't work cuz ur fingers want to continue writing... like right now.

Many people thought that the first chapter really didn't do that much except start the story. I see your point. I started this yesterday and finished today... I swear this was the fastest update, EVUH!!!!

I know I should be updating MOAK right know, but I really dislike typing out this next chapter... x(

Anyways, hope you like it! If you have any concerns or you just want to tell me something, the review button is right there in purple!

I may need some persuasion in order to update

SERIOUS persuasion


	3. Regroup

The Desert Intrigued Me:

Ð

Regroup

---

"Let me guess the reason you're here," she said once she finished pouring our tea. I tried to act nonchalant. Maybe it might throw her off.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, please... Sakura, you never come over here unless something is bothering you." That stung me a bit, but kept face.

"Um... how so, Temari?"

"Intuition."

We both kept our eyes focused on our cups until she spoke.

"So you're leaving..."

"What would ever give you that idea?" As soon as those words left my mouth she raised an eyebrow at me, so I continued explaining, "I'm happy here. It's a wish come true." There was no enthusiasm in my voice; no single jolt of life in it.

"When are you leaving?" So she understood perfectly.

"You're telling him." She stopped at this. Now, she knew how much homework I'd done on this.

"You're taking your son?"

"We're going home."

"You'd risk your life...!?"

"My life was torn apart!"

"But, you love-!"

"No!" I stopped it from going any further, "I used to love him. He gave me a choice, and I chose the one I would be able to live with. I was able to continue my life as an actual human being!"

A moment passed before she went, "So, a week from now, with your son?"

I gave her a weak smile and stood up.

"Thank you for the hospitality, Temari."

"My pleasure," she said with acid pouring into every single word up to the brim.

As I left the house, my mind was busy at rearranging my plan.

_Ok, so she knew... No idea how, but she did, and that's what matters._

_She knows I'm leaving across the desert to the west straight into Konoha with Taiki in a week._

_But how to change that?_

And I knew the answer: _Only one of us would have to go._

_But who?_

_There were guards checking everywhere at all hours because of the war..._

_Let's see; who's the better ninja?_

_Taiki._

_Who's the fastest?_

_Taiki._

_Who could probably get there first?_

_Taiki._

_Who actually knew the way back?_

_Me._

_Who has enough charka reserves to last them the entire three day trip without stopping?_

_Me._

_Who wouldn't be shot at first contact with Konoha ninja?_

_Me..._

_The ANBU would shoot Taiki down without so much as checking who he was. The simple fact that he looked like Gaara would give anyone enough reason to kill him._

_Kill first, ask questions later..._, she recited what she was taught when she became an ANBU ninja herself.

_So... I'll be that one that has to go. At least I'd be able to stall anyone long enough to understand the situation._

_I'll have to do it soon, though. _

_At the most, Temari knows I'm slow to react, and would wait about a day to actually tell him to tighten security._

_By then, I'll be here another year before I get home... I'll have to do it tonight then..._

_But, where will I go?_

_I can't go to Konoha. They'll expect me to go there..._

_I think I still know the turnoff to the Whirlpool Village... I could hide there for a while, throw them off my tail._

_Maybe there I could skid along the outer borders of Konoha; to check up on things..._

_From there, the Mist Village... and then double back home..._

_Perfect.

* * *

_

"Mom, you can't do this! I need to go with you!"

"Taiki, you will keep your voice low unless you want everyone in Suna to hear you."

"Sorry, Mother... But, you can't just leave me."

"Taiki, Temari doesn't suspect anything at this point; she knows everything. And unless you want to spend another year here, the plans have to be readjusted."

"But, we'd promised we'd do this together..."

I exhaled before starting up again... I was too old to argue with anyone like Naruto again.

Naruto.

"Taiki, remind me; what was your greatest ambition when you were growing up with Naruto?"

"To become a part of the ANBU Black Operations Squad."

"Therefore, you must learn to become...?"

"Flexible?"

I kissed my son on the top of his head. "I'll miss you."

"How long will you be gone," he asked as he hugged me.

"I have no idea, but it will take a while..."

"..."

"What's wrong, Taiki?"

"Can you tell me where you going?"

"Nope," I answered, "It's getting late, Taiki. I need to leave."

"Alright."

I held onto him for just a little bit longer before I released him and leaped out the window.

_I'm doing this for everyone, Naruto..._

* * *

You people are going to kill me... let me explain why it's taken so long... First off, school's getting harder because of some kids who mess up on their benchmarks, so no writing for fun time anymore (niami gets sad). And you won't believe how dumb I am... I finished writing this out yesterday, and decided to edit it today so i could post ASAP... BUT! I use OpenOffice and totally believe in privacy so... i used a password. and i FORGOT the password!

I was seriously screaming my laptop to cough up my document, but it seriously didn't want to... TTTTTT So I redid what I remembered.

The only reason I got this chapter done was because the dialouge flew straight into my head when i was taking a shower. I know, that's freaky, but if it gets chapters out, I'm not whining! (and you shouldn't either!)

Don't think I won't finish this story. Trust me, I'm SCARY enthusiastic for this to be finished... What once started as a side project became a full blown story.

BTW, I AM going to continue other projects, ok? 'K!

Niami


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